quadrillion

From French quadrillion, from quadri- (“four”) +‎ -illion.

• (US) IPA^(key): /kwɑˈdɹɪl.i.ən/, /kwɑˈdɹɪl.jən/
• (General Australian, Scotland) IPA^(key): /kwɔˈdɹɪl.jən/
• (New Zealand) IPA^(key): /kwɔˈdɹɘl.jɘn/
• (UK, Ireland, General South African) IPA^(key): /kwɒˈdɹɪl.jən/, /kwɒˈdʒɹɪl.jən/ (the latter may be non-standard)

• Audio (US)

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• Audio (AU)

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• Rhymes: -ɪljən

quadrillion (plural quadrillions)

1. (US, modern British and Australian, short scale) A thousand trillion (logic: 1,000 × 1,000⁴): 1 followed by fifteen zeros, 10¹⁵.
   • 2017 November, N. K. Jemisin, Mac Walters, chapter 1, in Mass Effect Andromeda: Initiation‎, 1st edition (Science Fiction), Titan Books, →ISBN, →OCLC, page 32:

     “I’m not sure I understand why we have to send a quadrillion-credit mission to another galaxy.”
     He looked fleetingly amused. “Quintillion... and we don’t have a choice, Harper. Any of us, really, but humanity especially.”

   • 2022 September 19, P. Schultheiss et al., “The abundance, biomass, and distribution of ants on Earth”, in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, page 1, column 2:

     Integrating data from all continents and major biomes, we conservatively estimate 20 × 10¹⁵ (20 quadrillion) ants on Earth, with a total biomass of 12 megatons of dry carbon.

2. (dated, UK, Australia, long scale) A million trillion (logic: 1,000,000⁴): 1 followed by twenty-four zeros, 10²⁴.

• (10¹⁵): a long scale billiard
• (10²⁴): a short scale septillion

• → Welsh: cwadriliwn

• (10¹⁵): peta-
• (10²⁴): yotta-
• (10¹⁵): Previous: trillion. Next: quintillion.
• (10²⁴): Previous: trilliard. Next: quadrilliard.

quadrillion (plural quadrillions)

1. (figuratively, slang, hyperbolic) Any very large number, exceeding normal description.
   • 1999, Beverly Lewis, A Perfect Match, Bethany House Publishers, page 23:

     They'd never understand — not in a quadrillion years.

   • 2000, J. D. Maples, Trojan Steers, Lomaland Books Inc, page 58:

     Me, I never refuse a meal, and believe me I seen some heavy weather. I musta flown a quadrillion miles and I never did have a problem.

   • 2004, Arthur Kopecky, New Buffalo: journals from a Taos commune, UNM Press, page 143:

     The sky is so absolutely clear with a quadrillion stars.

   • 2006, Evelyn Caro, The Flickering Attic Window, Trafford Publishing, page 8:

     She's named after this famous singer from a quadrillion years ago.

• (any very large number): bajillion, bazillion, billion, dillion, fantillion, gadzillion, gagillion, gajillion, gazillion, godzillion, googillion, grillion, hojillion, hundred and one, jillion, kabillion, kajillion, katrillion, killion, kazillion, million, million and one, quintillion, robillion, skillion, squidillion, squillion, thousand and one, trillion, umptillion, zillion

Inherited from Middle French quadrillion, from quadri- (“four”) +‎ -illion.

• IPA^(key): /kwa.dʁi.ljɔ̃/, /ka.dʁi.ljɔ̃/

• Audio

  (file)

quadrillion m (plural quadrillions)

1. septillion (10²⁴)
2. (dated) quadrillion (10¹⁵)

• “quadrillion”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

quadrillion m (plural quadrillions)

1. quadrillion (10²⁴)